Razor operating mechanism



Nov.-17, 1931. w. J. CAMERON 1,832,001

RAZOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 8, 1930 M lL-L MM 4/. 'CAMERONPatented Nov. 17, 1931 i WILLIAM J, elxmnnou,

PATENT OFFICE OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS RAZOR OPERATING MECHANISM Applicationfiled January 1930. Serial No. 419,275.

My invention relates to an automatic safety razor, and it particularlyrelates to a razor that is operated by an electric current which causesa vibration of a yieldable armature which is adapted to impact anabutment and the vibration thus created is transmitted through thehandle and the holder mounted thereon to the blade. The construction andarrangement of-the parts is designed in order 1 that the post for therazor head and the actuating mechanism are in the form of a unit so asto permit the same to be readily inserted in or removed from the handle.The parts are assembled with the handle in a manner that 35' ismoist-proof and waterproof, thereby preventing damage or short'circuiting from this source.

l have numerous objects in view in devising the 1 herein describedstructure,- among W which are the provision of an actuating mechanismfor razors and like articles-that is compact in construction; is novel"in the formation-and arrangement of the parts; is durable and dependablein operation; and

which will not readily get out of orc er. It is a further object of myinvention to reduce the actuating mechanism to the smallest space inorder to provide extreme compactness of the operating parts and thusprovide a handle of minimum dimensions. Further objects will be apparentto others skilled in the art after myinvention is understood from thefollowing description. 7 7

ll prefer to' carry out my invention and thereby accomplish the objectsthereof, in

substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as moreparticularly pointed out in-the appended claims. Reference is now beingmade to the accompanying drawings t that form a part of thisspecification, in

' which i Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of my improvement showing thehandle in longitudinal section.

Figure-.2 is an elevation at a right angle to Figure 1 with the handleor grip omitted. Figure 3' is an enlarged fragmentary view drawn inlongitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

. ihe drawings are to be understood as more pr less schematic for thepurpose of illustratng a typical or preferred form in which my inventionmay be made, and in these drawings similar reference characters havebeen employed to designate like parts wherever they appearthroughout theseveral views. 1

his will be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the actuatlng mechanism is of aunitary character, the same being mounted upon and extending between twoplugs or disksg5 and 6 of thick insulating material, the former or upperplug 5 being exteriorly threaded while the lower plug 6 has a smoothoutside surface. The handle or grip comprises an elongated tube 7, w1thits upper portion interiorly threaded to receive the upper plug 5, andits lower end portion has its bore reduced to provide a shoulder or stop8 against which the lower plug 6 preferably rests. The lower pore tionof the handle has a central aperture 9 v into which the electricterminals of the'unit protrude from plug 6 as will hereinafter morefully appear. "The post 10, with which the tool-holder or head of therazor is detachably' associated, is imbedded in'the outer portion ofplug 5, and after the unit has been assembled with the handle or grip inthe manner above described a conical-shaped cap 11 is screwed upon theportion of the upper plug 5 that remains outside or above the end of thehandle.

The actuating structure which is inclosed or housed within the handleconsists of an electromagnet core 12 that forms the body portion of aspool that has retaining end flanges 13 and 14 and around which. anenere gizing winding 15 is placed between said end flanges; A. head orpole 16 is secured to the core in any suitable manner at the upper orouter end of the latter. At the opposite end of the core there is abracket 17 of substan- I tially L-shape the lateral arm of which isconnected to the lower end of the core and its vertical or longer armextends up alongside the coil to provide a support for a vibratoryarmature-bar 18 that is connected to said vertical bracket arm by a flatspring 19. The bar is of magnetic material and engages a pole piece orhead 20 at the lower end of the coil impacts from a hammer or weight 22upon the adjacent free end of the armature-bar. A buffer or cushion 23is carried by the hammer on the face thereof nearest the impactreceiving member or anvil 21 so as to absorb some of the shockincidentto the impact of the hammer. As will be seen, the impact memberbeing made in a U-shape, provides the necessary recess to accommodatethe hammer 22 between its arms and thus materially reduces thetransverse dimensions of the structure.

A spring contact member 24 is mounted upon the vertical arm of thebracket 17 in such manner that it extends up alongside the outer face ofthe armature bar 18, and this contact member is mounted between piecesof insulating material 25 to insulate its attached portion from thebracket. This spring contact member 24 terminates at about the center oflength of the coil where it is provlded '1 with a contact block 26 onits face next the outer surface of the armature-bar 18 and at thislocation the armature-bar is provided with an aperture 27- of suflicientdimensions to surround the block 26 but to space the adjacent portion ofthe armature away from the block 26 and prevent contact with the latter.

A readily yieldable spring member 28 is anchored at its upper end uponthe inner surface of the armature 18 and is extended down alongside saidarmature to a point below the upper end of the other spring contactmember 24, and it is provided with a contact block 29 that alines withthe corresponding block 26 upon the other contact member 24. It willthus be seen that the blocks, at the proper time, contact each otherthrough the aperture 27 in the armature. Each time the armature isattracted towards the coil by the magnetic energy of the latter theseblocks 26 and 29 become separated from each other, thus breaking thecircuit and allowing the armature to yieldably move away from the coilthrough the medium of the spring 19.

The details of the spring contact elements, their respective blocks andthe armature are shown in longitudinal section in Figure 3, and it willbe understood that when the armature has moved in one direction or theother one of the springs 24 or 28 will touch the portion of the baradjacent the aperture 27 and thus reduce the yieldability of thatparticular spring contact.-

The bracket 17 and the elcctromagnet coil are secured to the lower plug6 herembefore mentioned, the adjacent portion of the brackct beingfitted into a groove or inlaid or imbedded in the adjacent surface ofthe plug 6. A pair of terminals 30 and 31 of irregular shape, passthrough the plug 6, the terminal 30 being connected by a lead 32 to theenergizing winding 15 of the electromagnet, while terminal 31 isconnected by a lead 33 to a lug on the contact arm 24. n the upper andlower sides of the plug 6 these terminals are disposed substantiallyparallel to each other, and their opposite end portions which extendbelow the plug are positioned in the central aperture 9 of the handle sothat they may be readily engaged with the socket contact elements at theend of the electric cord leading from the suitable source of current.The upper head or pole piece 16 has its portion nearest the ad acentportion of the armature provided with a flattened section 34 that is ina plane substantially parallel with the surface of the armature bar tothereby provide a flat magnetic surface to attract said bar. Thisconstruction also provides angular shoulders 35, and in order to insurestability, the adjacent corners of the contiguous arm of the impactreceiving member are provided with lateral ears 36 that are turned downagainst the angular shoulders 35 after these parts have been assembled,thus maintaining the respective parts against accidental dislodgment.

What I cla-imis:

1. A reciprocatory motor for a vibratory razor or the like comprising anelectromagnet core, an energizing winding thereon, an abutmentassociated with said electromagnet, an apertured vibratory armatureyieldably anchored at one end and actuated by said electromag'net toimpact said abutment, a contact arm secured tothe portion of saidarmature remote to the anchored portion of the latter, a yieldablecontact arm secured adjacent the anchored portion of said armature andcoacting with the other contact arm through the aperture in saidarmature. a

pair of terminals electrically connected re spectively to one of saidcontact arms and to said winding, and plugs at opposite ends of saidstructure to which the adjacent portions thereof are connected. a

2. .A reciprocatory motor for a vibratory razor or the like comprisingan electromagnet core, an energizing winding thereon, an abutmentassociated with said electromagnet, upper and lower plugs to which saidabutment-and the lower, end of said electromagnet are respectivelyconnected, an apertured vibratory armature; yieldably anchored at itslower end to said lower plug and actuated by said electromagnet toimpact said abutment with its free upper end, a yieldable contact armcarried by the free upper portion of said armature and extending downalongside the latter, a second yieldable Contact arm extending upwardlyfrom the lower portion of said armature towards the first arm, adjacentportions of said arms coacting with each other through the aperture insaid armature, and a pair of ter minals electrically connectedrespectively to said winding and-to the lower contact arm.. 3. Areciprocatory motorfor a vibratory razor or the like comprising anelectromagnet core having an energizing winding, an armature vibrated bysaid electromagnet and having a transverse aperture, an abutmentimpacted by said armature, a pair of terminals one of which is connectedto said winding, a yielding arm alongside the lower portion of saidarmature below said aperture and electrically connected to the otherterminal, a contact block on said arm positioned in said aperture, asecond yielding arm carried by the upper portion of said armature abovesaid aperture and positioned on the side of the armature opposite thefirst arm, 2 and a contact block on the second yielding arm alined withthe first-block through said aperture, the arms and blocks beingarranged a in a manner so that the movement of the armature pulls thesecond arm away from the ,30 first arm and causes a break between theblocks.

, 4. A reciprocating motor for a vibratory razor or the like comprisinga hollow handle, an electromagnet therein having an energiz- 36 ingwinding, a removable end plug connected to said electromagnet, anabutment within said handle, an armature vibrated by said electromagnetto cause its free end to impact said abutment and having a transverseaper- 40 ture, a contact arm, a yielding contactarm carried by the freeportion of said armature and coactin with the first-named contact armthrong said-aperture, said arms extending longitudinally towards eachother 46 from opposite directions, a base attached to the lower portionof the structure, terminals carried by the base one of which isconnected to said winding and the other to said firstnamed contact arm,and a plug at the lower 60 end of said handle against which said baseis" engaged when the structure is inserted longitudinally within thehandle.

Si ned at Chicago, in the county of Cook, and tate of Illinols, this20th day of Decemher, 1929. p

' WILLIAM J. CAMERON.

